Naruto: Copy System#631+632: Whitebeard, Care to Make a Deal? Whitebeard in His Prime

Being the target of Robin’s resentful glare left Shin feeling utterly baffled. He had no idea what he’d done to deserve it.

“Shin, Whitebeard’s ship spotted ahead,” Amatsuki Toki reported suddenly, pulling him from his thoughts.

“Oh, the Whitebeard Pirates?” Shin’s listless expression shifted, a spark of genuine interest in his eyes. “So, the old man is still out here enjoying the breeze.”

"Oh, Whitebeard's ship? He's still quite leisurely, isn't he?"

Hearing about the Whitebeard Pirates, a hint of interest appeared on Shin's listless face. Whitebeard was still sailing the seas, but he didn't know that he was about to be finished.

“Let’s go say hello,” Shin decided.

“Alright,” Toki replied, a hint of caution in her voice. “As long as we don’t end up in a fight with them.”

“What, are you afraid of Whitebeard?” Shin asked, raising an eyebrow. “Or do you think we’re no match for his crew?”

“Of course not,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m just not in the mood for a pointless brawl. Why would I be afraid of the Whitebeard Pirates?”

With Shin leading the Kuja Pirates, they were unquestionably the strongest crew on the seas. Not even Whitebeard’s fleet could compare. After all these years, Toki still couldn’t fathom the true depths of Shin’s power.

—————

As the Kuja Pirates approached, they were spotted by the crew of the Moby Dick.

“Pops, that’s the Kuja Pirates’ ship up ahead. Should we maintain our course?” Marco asked, his gaze fixed on the approaching vessel. To continue forward meant an inevitable meeting with Shin Uzumaki.

“Of course we do,” Whitebeard laughed, his voice booming across the deck. “You think I’m afraid of him?”

“The Whitebeard Pirates aren’t afraid of anyone,” Marco said with a firm nod. He then looked at the deep worry etched on the old man’s face. “Pops, are you worried about Ace?”

Whitebeard fell silent.

“Ace has been gone for a while now,” he finally said, his voice heavy. “For some reason, I’ve got a bad feeling about this...”

The weight on his heart was immense. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something terrible was about to happen.

Shanks had visited him recently, confirming his fears about Blackbeard. The man was far stronger than he appeared, strong enough to scar a Yonko.

“Don’t worry, Pops. Ace will be fine. There’s no way Blackbeard is a match for him,” Diamond Jozu said, his large frame a comforting presence.

“Let’s not talk about that for now,” Whitebeard said, his gaze shifting back to the approaching ship. “It seems Shin Uzumaki is heading right for us. Let’s give him a proper welcome. We can’t lose face.”

Though he admitted to himself that he was no longer a match for Shin, he felt no fear.

They had no grudge against each other. Why should he be afraid?

—————

“Whitebeard.”

Shin called out from the bow of the Pluton, his voice carrying easily across the water. “Long time no see. You’re looking a lot rougher than you used to.”

He studied the mountain of a man sitting on the deck, whose presence was as imposing as ever. But Shin’s senses told him a different story. It was all a facade. The old man’s body was failing.

“Gurararara! Even so, I could still fight you to a standstill, brat,” Whitebeard laughed, refusing to admit his weakness.

“You’re getting old, and you’re covered in wounds. The Marines see you as a prime target right now. You should accept it—” Shin said with a faint, knowing smile.

Whitebeard’s eyes narrowed. He knew Shin wasn’t just making idle conversation. There was a deeper meaning to his words.

“His presence isn’t what it used to be,” Hancock commented coolly. “I think I could probably take him down myself.”

“You think you can defeat me, little girl?” Whitebeard’s voice rumbled as he heard her remark, his eyes narrowing as an invisible pressure rolled off him.

A wave of Conqueror’s Haki washed over the area, but the first to suffer were his own men. Many of the weaker pirates on the surrounding ships collapsed, foaming at the mouth.

“Conqueror’s Haki is no threat to me,” Hancock said calmly, releasing her own wave of Haki.

“I have it too—”

Her aura flared, meeting Whitebeard’s without giving an inch. In truth, when it came to Conqueror’s Haki, Whitebeard wasn’t at the absolute peak of the world.

Whitebeard’s eyes narrowed further, and he let out a silent, internal sigh.

The Kuja Pirates were on another level!!

His own crew, for all its numbers and the forty-three allied crews under his banner, lacked the same top-tier power. It wasn’t that his commanders were weak—they were all formidable.

But none of them had the presence to truly command the seas. If something happened to him, there was no one who could hold the Whitebeard Pirates together.

Marco was strong, but he wasn’t a leader of that caliber. Whitebeard had hoped to pass the mantle to Ace. The boy might not be as strong as Marco yet, but his potential was far greater.

“Shin Uzumaki, you didn’t come all this way just to chat, did you??” Whitebeard asked, letting his Haki subside. Hancock did the same.

“I didn’t come looking for you at all. This was just a coincidence,” Shin replied.

“What did you mean by what you said earlier?” Whitebeard pressed, still focused on Shin’s warning. Were the Marines really planning to make a move on him? It seemed plausible. He was probably the easiest target among the Yonko right now.

“Whitebeard,” Shin said, his tone shifting. “Care to make a deal?”

“Gurararara! A deal, you say? What kind of deal?” Whitebeard asked, a deep laugh rumbling in his chest.

The rest of the Whitebeard Pirates remained silent. This was a conversation between two titans. They had no place in it.

“I can restore you to your prime,” Shin said, his gaze steady and intense. “In exchange, you give me all the treasure you’ve amassed in your lifetime. How about it?”

“That’s impossible! You’re trying to trick Pops!” Marco shouted immediately.

The other crew members glared at Shin, their expressions a mix of anger and disbelief.

“Shut up,” Shin said, his eyes sweeping over them. “You have no right to speak here.”

The sheer force of his gaze made them all lower their heads.

He then turned his attention back to Whitebeard. He was the one Shin was making a deal with. As long as he agreed, the opinions of the others were irrelevant.

<><><><><><><><>

“Shin, you brat... I may be old, but I’m not senile,” Whitebeard said, his eyes—full of a deep, unreadable wisdom—fixed on Shin. “You claim you can restore me to my prime. Is that even possible?”

“That’s for you to decide,” Shin replied coolly, his tone unwavering. “Believe it or don’t.”

“...”

Whitebeard considered him for a long, heavy moment, the silence stretching between them. Finally, a slow grin spread across his face.

“Alright,” Whitebeard declared, his voice booming with newfound resolve. “I believe you. I’ll give you all my personal treasures. But remember, this is my treasure, not the treasure of the Whitebeard Pirates.”

He was willing to gamble his own hard-won fortune, but he would never touch the riches his sons had earned.

Their treasures were their own.

“Deal.”

Shin agreed without a moment's hesitation.

In truth, the treasure was irrelevant to him. Other pirates might kill for a mountain of gold, but he had no use for it. This entire deal was just a pretext, a way for him to give Whitebeard a helping hand—though not entirely for free. There was no cost to Whitebeard now, but in the future, Shin would need him to put on a grand, unforgettable performance.

In the original story, Whitebeard had died at Marineford... old, sick, and past his prime. But now, at full strength, who knew how the Summit War would play out? That uncertainty made it worth Shin's investment.

After all, he wasn't in the business of helping people for free.

“Yin-Yang Release.”

A shimmering ball of pure life energy, woven from the fundamental forces of Yin and Yang chakra, materialized in Shin’s hand.

He tossed it gently toward Whitebeard, deliberately making the throw slow enough for the old man to dodge if he chose to. This was the final test. If Whitebeard flinched now, he would lose his one and only chance.

Whitebeard watched the glowing orb float toward him, his massive frame unmoving. He stood his ground.

The moment the chakra entered his body, a powerful, almost violent wave of vitality erupted from within him. He felt his old bones strengthen, his muscles tighten and swell with renewed power.

Every old wound, every nagging ache from decades of legendary battles, simply vanished. The very life force that had been slowly, painfully draining from him for years began to surge with the vigor of his youth.

Though his outward appearance hadn’t changed, Whitebeard could feel the monumental shift within himself.

It was a resurrection.

—————

“Pops, are you okay??" Marco and the other commanders rushed forward, panic written all over their faces. They'd seen Shin hurl that mysterious object at their father and had almost attacked, thinking it was some kind of sneak attack.

If Shin knew what they were thinking, he would have scoffed. If he really wanted to harm Whitebeard, did he need to resort to such petty tricks? He could have ended him openly, and Whitebeard would have been powerless to resist.

“I’m fine,” Whitebeard said, clenching his fists, a look of pure, unadulterated shock in his eyes. He couldn’t believe it. Shin Uzumaki actually possessed such an incredible, god-like power.

'So this is what it felt like... the power of my prime.' It had been so long since he had felt this surge of limitless strength. He never thought he would experience it again.

“Thank you, Shin Uzumaki,” Whitebeard said, his voice filled with a deep, solemn gratitude that went beyond mere words. “You’ll get your treasure.”

To trade the accumulated riches of a lifetime for this feeling? It was more than worth it. Treasure used to be important to him, but now, all he truly cared about was his family and possessing the strength to protect them.

“Don’t thank me just yet,” Shin said calmly, his expression unreadable. “My reasons for helping you go beyond your treasure.”

“Then what is it you want?” Whitebeard asked immediately, his guard rising. He had received a great gift, but he was wary.

“You’ll find out when the time is right,” Shin replied with a faint, mysterious smile. “There’s no need to tell you now.”

Whitebeard looked at him, his brow furrowing at the cryptic answer, but he didn't press the issue.

“Alright, Whitebeard, bring out your treasure,” Shin said, his tone shifting to one of mild curiosity. “I’m interested to see just how much a great pirate like yourself has managed to hoard over the years.”

He was actually a little excited. A pirate of Whitebeard’s stature, a man who had dominated the seas for decades, must have a personal fortune that could literally form mountains.

“Of course.” Whitebeard turned and ordered his sons to bring out his personal collection. The sheer amount of gold, jewels, and priceless artifacts that they hauled onto the deck was enough to leave even Shin momentarily speechless.

“Not bad, Whitebeard. You’re a very rich man,” Shin said, genuinely impressed.

Still, he was probably richer, thanks to his lucrative arrangement with Doflamingo.

—————

“So, do you have any regrets about giving all this up?” Shin asked, a playful glint in his eye.

“Compared to what I’ve gained, this is a small price to pay,” Whitebeard replied, his eyes clear and resolute.

This treasure was just sitting around collecting dust anyway.

But to feel this powerful again... it was intoxicating. Ever since his battle with Shin all those years ago, his strength had been in a slow, irreversible decline. Now, he was back.

He knew he was still no match for Shin, but he was confident that besides him, no one else in the world could defeat him.

“Shin, you brat,” Whitebeard said, his tone turning serious and earnest. “Regardless of your true motives, I thank you.”

“No need,” Shin replied. “I’ve already been paid. This was an equal exchange. Farewell, Whitebeard.”

With that, Shin turned and ordered the Pluton to depart, leaving the Whitebeard Pirates in their wake.

“I don’t understand your motives at all, Shin,” Robin said as they sailed away. “Why did you help him? His treasure, as vast as it is, can’t possibly be worth the price of restoring him to his peak, can it?”

“I just want to see a good show,” Shin said with a light, almost chilling laugh. “If I’m not mistaken, Ace will fall into the hands of the Marines soon enough. And when that happens, Whitebeard and the Marines are destined for a massive, world-shaking war.”

He wanted to see how a full-powered Whitebeard would change the outcome of the Summit War. This was his true, selfish reason.